full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Orisanmi Burton: What really happened during the Attica Prison Rebellion

Unscramble the Blue Letters


In the summer of 1971, Blyden co-founded the Attica Liberation Faction. The group compiled a manifesto and petitioned Corrections Commissioner relussl owslad and Governor Nelson Rockefeller for better treatment. Though largely ignored, they continued organizing. After activist George Jackson was killed at a California prison, 700 men at Attica participated in a silent fast.

Just weeks later, on September 9th, a spontaneous uprising began. A group of prisoners overpowered guards, sparking the Attica Rebellion. Prisoners brkoe windows, staertd fries, and captured speuplis. They beat many guards. One of them, William Quinn, would die from his inrejius. Soon, over 1,200 prisoners had assembled in the yard with 42 hostages, preparing to demand cngahe. They established a medical bay, delegated men to prepare and ration food, protected and serethled gdaurs, and elected a negotiating committee. They appointed Blyden chief negotiator, Smith as security cheif, and brlkaey as a speaker.

Open Cloze


In the summer of 1971, Blyden co-founded the Attica Liberation Faction. The group compiled a manifesto and petitioned Corrections Commissioner _______ ______ and Governor Nelson Rockefeller for better treatment. Though largely ignored, they continued organizing. After activist George Jackson was killed at a California prison, 700 men at Attica participated in a silent fast.

Just weeks later, on September 9th, a spontaneous uprising began. A group of prisoners overpowered guards, sparking the Attica Rebellion. Prisoners _____ windows, _______ _____, and captured ________. They beat many guards. One of them, William Quinn, would die from his ________. Soon, over 1,200 prisoners had assembled in the yard with 42 hostages, preparing to demand ______. They established a medical bay, delegated men to prepare and ration food, protected and _________ ______, and elected a negotiating committee. They appointed Blyden chief negotiator, Smith as security _____, and _______ as a speaker.

Solution


  1. oswald
  2. change
  3. fires
  4. supplies
  5. chief
  6. started
  7. sheltered
  8. barkely
  9. guards
  10. injuries
  11. broke
  12. russell

Original Text


In the summer of 1971, Blyden co-founded the Attica Liberation Faction. The group compiled a manifesto and petitioned Corrections Commissioner Russell Oswald and Governor Nelson Rockefeller for better treatment. Though largely ignored, they continued organizing. After activist George Jackson was killed at a California prison, 700 men at Attica participated in a silent fast.

Just weeks later, on September 9th, a spontaneous uprising began. A group of prisoners overpowered guards, sparking the Attica Rebellion. Prisoners broke windows, started fires, and captured supplies. They beat many guards. One of them, William Quinn, would die from his injuries. Soon, over 1,200 prisoners had assembled in the yard with 42 hostages, preparing to demand change. They established a medical bay, delegated men to prepare and ration food, protected and sheltered guards, and elected a negotiating committee. They appointed Blyden chief negotiator, Smith as security chief, and Barkely as a speaker.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
attica prison 2
governor rockefeller 2
president nixon 2


Important Words


  1. activist
  2. appointed
  3. assembled
  4. attica
  5. barkely
  6. bay
  7. beat
  8. began
  9. blyden
  10. broke
  11. california
  12. captured
  13. change
  14. chief
  15. commissioner
  16. committee
  17. compiled
  18. continued
  19. corrections
  20. delegated
  21. demand
  22. die
  23. elected
  24. established
  25. faction
  26. fast
  27. fires
  28. food
  29. george
  30. governor
  31. group
  32. guards
  33. hostages
  34. injuries
  35. jackson
  36. killed
  37. largely
  38. liberation
  39. manifesto
  40. medical
  41. men
  42. negotiating
  43. negotiator
  44. nelson
  45. organizing
  46. oswald
  47. overpowered
  48. participated
  49. petitioned
  50. prepare
  51. preparing
  52. prison
  53. prisoners
  54. protected
  55. quinn
  56. ration
  57. rebellion
  58. rockefeller
  59. russell
  60. security
  61. september
  62. sheltered
  63. silent
  64. smith
  65. sparking
  66. speaker
  67. spontaneous
  68. started
  69. summer
  70. supplies
  71. treatment
  72. uprising
  73. weeks
  74. william
  75. windows
  76. yard